As for the Chinese language itself, being immersed in the language has significantly improved my ability to understand the language, while my speaking skills are still a work in progress. Still, I am eager to apply what I have learned and to actively continue to learn more Chinese.
Most of all, I have enjoyed traveling throughout Asia. I loved my time in India, Vietnam and various parts of China. I still plan on traveling to a few other cities in China, and I am excited to try new foods and experience more subcultures within China’s larger culture. While traveling has been fun and provided me with firsthand experiences in regards to what I am studying, it has included a few bumps in the road. Especially in China, I had to learn how to use the transportation systems from purchasing tickets to boarding a plane. Yet, I am now confident in my ability to travel throughout China and Asia, which provides me with confidence to travel anywhere in the world.
No matter what you plan on pursuing in the future, I encourage you to travel to meet new people and gain new perspectives. If you ever have the opportunity to study abroad, go! Education inside of the classroom is needed, but education outside of the classroom makes what you are learning come to life. From my time in China, I have learned how every country has its positives and negatives, along with recognizing the potential that lies within countries working together. After all, countries all face some similar issues on the domestic scale and many common issues on the global scale. As I depart from China, I hope that the lessons I learned are always remembered and that the network I have created lasts a lifetime. I cannot wait to use these experiences as I pursue a career in the federal government.
